I definitely don't want to be a homebody stuck in the hotel, so I'm prepping to travel around a bit and explore which brings me to . . .

AttireAlt's known as a "dress to impress" kind of conference and with themed parties plus pregnancy (did you see how big my belly is this time around???) it's been a bit of a challenge so I've found it easiest to divide my wardrobe selections into daytime, evening and exploring:

Daytime

I'm all about stretch pants, flat boots, blazers and colorful tops; since we'll be in the conference rooms and hotels are known for bizarre climate changes I'll have a few scarves/wraps with me as well (btw I love this handy tutorial for tying scarves!):

I had been hearing such great things about Asos, and this was my my first purchase there. I'm happy with the quality, fit and price! I snagged these simple pumps from DSW (for only $19 including shipping!):

Saturday I hope to walk around the city a bit before my plane leaves that afternoon. I have a white, snowman-like parka I was originally going to wear, but my parents gave me this maternity coat for Christmas that I love the fit of but isn't as warm as my down snowman coat:

Make sure I can get to/from the airport via public transit - it's my first time flying out of Newark Airport (I usually fly out of JFK or LaGuardia)

PACK!!!

And shout-out to my sister Ariane who will be helping with Nia's school pick-up/drop-off and to Mr. Lovebird for being extremely supportive of my first trip to Alt. He's sending me off with instructions to, "WOW THEM!"

Do you get frazzled like I do before a big trip? Are you a big pre-trip planner/packer or a "throw-it-all-in-the-suitcase-the-night-before" type of packer?